Breakout Session

Global Arctic: The Resource Dynamics of the Urbanized Arctic

Organized by the GlobalArctic Project and the Northern Research Forum (NRF) 26. August 2016

Saturday, October 8, 17:15-18:45

Location: Silfurberg B, Harpa Second Level

Global warming and subsequent rapid accessibility of the Arctic to natural resources exploitation and transport routes leads to its industrialization and urbanization.

In this session, we will take a comprehensive approach to the resource dynamics of the urbanized Arctic in the following ways:

(Re)assessing and analyzing the likely development (scope, migration, housing, other changes of urban settlements in the Arctic) as a result of mass-scale utilization (e.g. mines, oil drilling) and the opening of the Arctic to natural resources exploitation and global transport, and role of TNCs and SOEs there;

Assessing the consequences of such development on

The national, regional and local economies, and national policies,

Indigenous peoples and cultures,

Sustainable development / resilience,

Comparing the urbanized Arctic to rural Arctic with small communities.

Speakers:

Melissa Harris, Project Manager, International Institute for Sustainable Development: Barriers and Best Practices for Sustainable Housing in the Canadian Arctic

Heather Nicol, Professor, Trent University: Resiliency in Northern Canada’s Communities Based upon Evaluating the Canadian Geographical Literature on Rural Reinvigoration and Governance Capacity

Rachael Lorna Johnstone, Professor of Law, University of Akureyri: Free, Prior and Informed Consent in Large-Scale Development Projects in the Arctic

“Greenland and the Arctic Council: Subnational regions in a time of Arctic Westphalianisation”